


Unexpected Change

by the_jade_dragon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cussing, Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 14:57:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9077743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_jade_dragon/pseuds/the_jade_dragon
Summary: Levi finds amusement with a new stranger from out of town in the most unlikeliest of ways.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the 2016 Eruri Secret Santa, dedicated for @pitftw

Clumpy dregs of lukewarm coffee slid stubbornly down his throat, prompting Levi to choke during his morning rush. Familiar earthy tones shadowed with a hint of cheap cinnamon and vanilla welled up in his mouth again, forcing Levi to sever himself from the bustling city crowd in search of a place to hurl. A dignified place at the very least, Levi prayed.

His iron-weighted backpack slammed heavily against his aching shoulders, skates digging mercilessly to tempt the fraying threads of his already worn coat. Worn winter boots slushed through the melted snow scattered on the sidewalks as Levi wove in and out of the people, repelling pedestrians with a steely arm as he covered his gagging mouth with the other.

With no empty alleyways or public restrooms in sight, Levi sprinted forward, his desperation growing more and more frantic with every pained swallow of regurgitated coffee and pastry.

In his haste, Levi’s thoughts drifted to mourn the loss of “Gio’s Tea and Supplies” that was the local coffee stop right beneath his cramped apartment, a local store that had lasted for 30 years only to be replaced by a terrible hipster coffee chain. Levi could no longer purchase his cherished black tea leaves from a familiar face, instead he was now greeted with the stony glare of a college-aged barista that rotated every month whenever he peered inside the new place.

The city was constantly changing; Levi understood that when he decided to pursue a life in a place like this. Lately, change had been hitting far too close for Levi’s comfort and this shop had been low blow dear to his heart. If new meant overpriced, cheaply made coffee at the expense of good quality tea, Levi wasn’t sure his sanity was going to last much longer in this concrete jungle.

Barely able to hold back the remains of his half eaten croissant and coffee, Levi internally sent a stream of curses aimed towards the frowning barista that had served him this shitstain they generously dubbed as an “Italian espresso”. “Italian” and “espresso” were not the first words to come to Levi’s mind when he had reluctantly ingested their sewer sludge with a sour grimace.

It seemed that it was all for naught though, since his stomach and mouth seemingly conspired against Levi to ensure that his $15 breakfast would promptly go to waste. Levi had only seconds left and still nothing in sight—

In the distance past the gray cluster of pedestrians, a beacon of hope arose before Levi in bathed in glorious light in the form of a dingy, green wire trash bin. Bits of newspaper and gum stuck to the sides in its neglected state, yet Levi had never felt so relieved to see one in his entire life.

Levi made a mad dash for this unlikely oasis, bursting through a horde of disgruntled commuters as he skidded on black ice. Through sheer willpower and experienced footing, Levi slid across the icy surface to propel himself forward, unlike the unfortunate bystanders that fell like a stack of dominos in his wake.

Abandoning the small scrap of dignity he still had in the chaotic whirlwind, Levi aimed his sights towards the figure that now blocked his target: a tall man wearing a burgundy coat. His blond hair ruffled in the winter chill, the man pulled up the flaps of his coat with his free hand to ward off against the bitter wind. The man seemed unaware of his impeding doom, wholly captivated by the soft glow of his smartphone.

 _Get out of the way, old man!_ Levi wanted to scream as he flapped his arm in warning, _MOVE!_

As if in slow motion the man’s eyes connected with Levi’s, widening in horror as he realized too late that Levi was barreling straight for him. Too late to act the gentleman, Levi roughly grasped the man’s coat with a muted snarl, lunging towards the grimy rim of the trash bin and…

…promptly hurled at the man’s feet, missing the gaping maw of the trash can by mere inches.

A paralyzing silence stifled the small space between them. Levi’s coughs turned to hacking wheezes as his breath misted his pallor face. Evading his gaze from the sick, Levi felt his burning embarrassment boil into scorching fury at the gentle touch of a gloved hand against his shaking back. _What the—_

Levi yanked his mitted hands from the entanglement of the man’s maroon coat, a red flush crawling up his neck. Levi’s eyes trailed upwards to gaze at the blonde’s face, narrowing in on his piercing blue eyes that seemed to laugh at his disheveled form. A small smile danced across his full lips, vanishing immediately at the sight of Levi’s hasty separation.

The blonde man awkwardly cleared his throat, “I-I am so, so sorry, sir.” He stepped away from Levi to lightly shake off his boots in the street. “I-I didn’t see you until the last minute, I was distracted—”

“That’s right.”

The man stopped, looking up from his dirtied boots to Levi in confusion.

Levi scowled, his anger smoldering to a dull blaze at the sight of the man's perplexed expression, “You should’ve seen me coming. I couldn’t have made my intentions any clearer.”

The man peered behind Levi, taking in the mess of fallen pedestrians and gaping pathway that Levi had haphazardly left in his wake. Levi paid no mind to the Interjected swears and angry jeers carried by the sharp breeze, crossing his arms in presumed defiance.

“That, I can see.” The blonde remarked, shaking off Levi’s mess as he peeled off his boots with a quick flick.

Levi’s scowl turned deeper. He didn’t care for his casual tone, nor his pretty boy face for that matter. “So?”

“So what?”

“So… what are you going to do about it?”

The man chuckled, “As I recall, you’re the one who threw up on me, not the other way around.”

Levi crossed his arms, his heated annoyance fogging the air. “You were in my way because you were too dumb to notice. This is your fault and could’ve easily been avoided.”

“Of course,” the man said, his mild tone dripping with sarcasm, “I am the one at fault.”

Impatient anger arose in the back of Levi’s throat, “I don’t appreciate—“

“Listen, before we launch into a heated debate that ends with the both of us losers, let’s get three things straight.” The blonde slipped on one boot and proceeded shaking the next, his intense blue gaze never leaving Levi for a second.

“One, if you’re trying to get a free meal out of this, I don’t mind. It’s fairly easy to replace what you…lost.” A low chuckle escaped from the man’s lips, “I can do that as soon as I can figure out how to navigate this maze of a city, that is.”

Betrayal manifested in a low growl from Levi’s stomach, solidifying the truth in blonde’s words. That spill did leave Levi hungry, and considering how thin his wallet was; the offer was most certainly a tantalizing prospect.

Hopping on one foot to regain his balance, the man continued, “Two. I’m from out of town and I’m lost. I need to meet up for an important negotiation and my phone is working against me. I wouldn’t mind making a friend to help me out of this navigational pickle.”

Levi rolled his eyes with a sigh, “Fine. I can do that. And the third thing?”

The man fitted his boot on with a satisfying stomp, finally rising to his full height to tower over Levi. A small grin spread across his cleanly shaven face, “The name’s Erwin.” He held out his hand, “And yours?”

Levi’s eyes narrowed, glancing in disgust at his outstretched palm, “Your hands are dirty.”

Erwin cocked his head, “That’s a strange name—“

“Levi. The name is Levi.”

“Levi.” Erwin echoed, peeling off his tainted leather gloves with a flourish. “Well considering that it is your mess after all—“

“What’s the address?” Levi said, cutting off Erwin’s snide remark with a glare.

“3324 Whitehall Street, Lot C5.” Erwin replied, reading off his phone, “But you see, the reason why I was confused was that—“

“First of all, it’s 3324 Whitehall Boulevard, Lot C.” Levi corrected promptly, “I don’t know where you got the wrong street or lot from, but your phone’s got the information wrong.”

“Oh good, you know your way around.” Erwin said, noticeably relieved, “Well let’s go then—“

Levi interrupted with a pull of Erwin’s arm, halting him in his tracks, “Wait, wait, wait."

Erwin glanced over with a puzzled look, “…What?”

“Why in the hell are you visiting my ice rink?”

 

***

 

“Oi.”

A low hum reverberated from across the rink, the white Zamboni moving at a painfully slow crawl. Its balding driver wore a set of pink headphones, deaf to Levi’s call as it drove away from where Levi stood.

Levi waved his arms impatiently, “Oi. Oi. Dot! Dottie!! Oi!!”

“I don’t think he can hear you.” Erwin’s voice came from behind, “I doubt it’s possible for him to hear anything at all.”

Levi bit back a retort, facing the shining rink, “I thought you were still cleaning up your shoes in the bathroom.”

“I finished already. I clean up quickly.”

“I’m sure you do.” Levi turned to the benches to find Erwin shuffling several leafs of paper. “What are you doing?”

“Preparing my end of the deal.” Erwin responded, stacking the papers neatly against the cold blue plastic seat, “Have you gotten Mr. Pixis’ attention for me yet?”

“Don’t hold your breath, blondie.” Levi settled down on the bench, leaning back and closing his eyes to take a nap, “He takes his own sweet time when he’s cleaning the rink.”

Erwin cleared his throat, “It would be preferable if I could get his signature sooner rather than—“

“He’ll get here when he gets here. Relax.” Levi stretched out his arms above his head, “I don’t teach class until 9:30.”

“Please. Levi.” Erwin pleaded in his suave tone, causing butterflies to flutter in Levi’s empty stomach. A moment passed, leaving the droning hum of the Zamboni to linger for a while longer. _What is his problem?_

With a dramatic huff, Levi reluctantly launched himself off of the bench. He wandered next to Erwin to his pile of stuff, singling out his bag from beneath his winter coat. Pulling back the sleeves of his black work uniform, Levi tore open the zipper. Pitch-black skates poked out from amongst the folds and with a relish Levi plopped down on the bench to tear off his muddy boots.

As his numb fingers laced up his skates, Levi couldn’t help but stare as Erwin too shed his winter clothing. His wine red coat fell to the bench to reveal a taut white turtleneck that comfortably hugged his lean, muscular stature.

Erwin’s toned arms teased the fabric with every movement, his broad hands clasping the papers with a gentle shuffle. The arm sleeves tugged to reveal the continuation of his glowing, god-like complexion that would make Erwin the envy of every skincare product that one could buy. With a tousle, the lightly spun gold that was Erwin’s hair reflected the dull lights of the rink in splendid glory. Levi felt the heat rise in his neck, quite different from the anger that had been there before.

Levi stared like a man bewitched at the smooth curve of his cheekbones, framing the contours of Erwin’s face as if he were carved from marble. Rosy hues flushed his smooth cheeks and lips, bringing out the brilliant sky blue of his eyes. A few blonde hairs fell across his eyes, prompting Erwin to comb them back with the back of his hand. His lips moved, but the blood rushing in Levi’s ears prevented him from hearing a single syllable.

Levi snapped out of his trance, muttering darkly to himself, “What are you, some kind of supermodel.”

“Fortunately, no.” Erwin responded smoothly, his eyes never wavering from the papers, “Modeling is not quite in my repertoire.”

Levi’s ears reddened, the collar of his shirt feeling more like a noose around his neck, “I was talking to myself in private, thank you very much.”

Death by rogue Zamboni would have been preferable to suffering any longer with this man. One stupid mistake after the other in such a short span of time, Levi was never usually this clumsy with anyone else around. What was it about this man that made Levi fall so easily apart at the seams?

 _Guess throwing up one someone would do the trick._ Levi thought snidely to himself.

“What was it that you said a minute ago?” Levi questioned, his mind whirring frantically to keep his focus on his laces and away from Erwin.

“I asked if you could tell me where you keep the skates.”

A pronounced yank of his laces served as enough punishment for his blabbing, Levi’s feet screamed in agony as he wobbled over to the open gate on too tight skates. The familiar clack of metal began to clear his head, his eagerness to get on the ice drowning most of the sorrows of his recent embarrassment.

Glowering at the whirring Zamboni and Pixis’ blissful ignorance, Levi glanced back at Erwin: “Go past the display case on your right to the entrance. They’re beneath the front counter at the desk.”

“Thanks.” Erwin turned heel towards the entrance, abandoning his coat and stack of papers.

“Why?” Levi barked, his sharp tongue getting the better of him, “Do you want to join me for a morning skate?”

Levi made a mental note to slam his head against the rink door before lighting himself on fire after work. _Stupid, stupid, stupid—_

Erwin’s quick response surprised Levi, “Sounds tempting, but no. I’m just hoping to get myself acquainted with the place, that’s all.”

Levi’s thoughts briefly traveled to the dusty display case in the front, but the likelihood that Erwin would show any interest in that ancient history seemed unlikely. Besides, whatever business deal he had going on with Pixis didn’t concern Levi.

At least, Levi half hoped it didn’t.

 _Flirting with him half the time, hating his pretty boy face during the other half,_ Levi frowned, kicking himself mentally for his erratic attitude. _Make up your damn mind_.

“Yeah, whatever you say blondie...” grumbled Levi, his right hand trailing along the rink wall entrance. With a heave, Levi launched himself completely onto the shining ice.

The crisp clack and slap of metal on ice soothed Levi and his torrent of muddled thoughts, basking in the pleasure of gliding alone on clean ice. His black blades sliced clean, white trails into the ice with every thrust, the glass-like surface mirroring Levi with his black attire in an opaque reflection.

Levi locked onto Pixis’ Zamboni, merrily chugging away at the opposite end of the ice. With his ears still covered by those pink headphones and his gloved hands fiddling away at the controls, Pixis remained oblivious to Levi’s steady approach. At this sight, Levi’s even breathing faltered to let out an annoyed huff.

Levi regretted the day he had bought those for Pixis; they were a last minute birthday present to deal with his incessant complaining about the noise around the arena. Convenient as they were at the time, they now impeded Levi and his daily routine and got him stuck with an infuriatingly handsome man. _I need to focus. Almost done with this shit…_

Paying no mind to his constricting skates, Levi dug into the ice with renewed determination and blasted forward with extra speed. Levi frantically waved his arms to get a reaction from Pixis, finally ensnaring the old man’s attention when he slammed heavily into the battered Zamboni’s side.

“Holy smokes, Levi!” Pixis wheezed, his pink headphones flying off in the outburst, “What the devil are you doin’ out here??”

“I was…trying to…get…your…attention.” Levi panted noisily, clutching the side of the vehicle to keep his tottering balance, “You couldn’t…hear…”

The Zamboni rattled to a halt, Pixis shifting the cumbersome gears into resting place, “Well, you don’t have to ram into our only working machine to do that.”

A painful throb from his shoulder accentuated Levi’s sour tone, “If you didn’t wear those damn things all the time…” nodding towards the pink headphones on the ice, “…then maybe you would actually hear important shit.”

“I’ve taken a liking to those headphones.” Pixis said defensively, “Isn’t it considered a compliment when someone actually uses a present you’ve bought them?”

“I guess so, Dot.” Levi breathed, slanting against the weathered hull to catch his breath. “You’ve got me there.”

Pixis landed onto the ice, his rubber boots skidding slightly on the surface before he swiftly regained his stance. Snatching up the pair with a stiff arm, Pixis appraised Levi’s leaning form with a keen eye, “Somebody already shove a hornet’s nest in your face this early in the day?”

Levi scoffed, massaging feeling back into his aching shoulder, “Let’s just say my morning hasn’t been all sunshine and daisies, alright?”

He leaned forward, catching a whiff of whiskey as Levi spotted a bottle half-tucked away beneath the driver’s seat. “Looks like you started your day on a rough foot as well, Dot. What gives?”

Pixis grimaced, bitterly tossing his gloves onto the cracked leather seat of the Zamboni; “The grim reaper comes for us all in many forms, Levi. You just gotta be prepared when it does.”

A barking laugh escaped from Levi, reverberating across the empty arena, “I never took you for the melancholic type. Usually you’re up and ahead of that kind of thinking.”

“Not today, Levi.” Pixis took a generous swig of golden liquor. “Not today.”

Levi’s laughter died down, the weighty press of reality sinking in. “Wait a minute, you don’t mean that—“

“Ah! Mr. Pixis!” Erwin called out, gliding onto the ice with flawless execution, “I’ve finally collected all of your paperwork.”

Pixis’ eyes widened in horror, shouting back with a false smile, “Mr. Smith! I wasn’t expecting you this early.”

His wrinkled amber gaze lost its twinkling charm, replaced by a vicious wrath as his potent glare paralyzed Levi to the core. Maintaining his fake grin for Erwin, Pixis whispered to Levi a dangerously low voice, “Did you let this man into the rink, Levi?”

It was unusual for Pixis to respond to anyone to this emotional extreme before. It had been Levi’s recollection in the past 7 years he worked here that Dot Pixis was a mild mannered and generally a jovial fellow that never had a single fight with a customer, not even once. And yet now Levi observed a sweaty Pixis loosen his collar with a shaking hand, keeping his blazing fury limited to his scorching glare.

Levi admitted, “I did, Dot. He said he had trouble looking for—“

“Don’t you think there is a reason that this man didn’t have the correct address in the first place?” Pixis hissed, “Hmm?”

In slow understanding Levi began to connect the pieces.

_‘3324 Whitehall Boulevard, Lot C … not 3324 Whitehall Street, Lot C5’…‘It would be preferable if I could get his signature sooner…’_

Death incarnate glided across the rink in swift fashion, rental skates tracing the same path that Levi had gone over only minutes ago.

“It was pure coincidence, really.” Erwin declared, his toned form skating effortlessly on the icy glass with hands behind his back, “Running into one of your employees just as I had almost given up hope finding this place. Quite the little miracle.”

“Yes, sir. Quite.” Pixis replied with clenched teeth, balling his fists at his sides.

Erwin skidded to a stop with a clean cut, halting just a foot away from where Pixis and Levi stood next to the beaten Zamboni. He pulled out his hands, revealing the packet of papers and a single ballpoint pen. “Now, Mr. Pixis. We can finish this.”

“Well if—“

“Sorry to be quite fucking frank,” Levi interjected, casting aside Pixis’ glare to direct one of his own towards Erwin, “But since ol’ Dottie has kept both of us in the dark, why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on.”

“These papers are to sign over the ownership of this lot, ice rink, and everything else in this establishment to me.” Erwin stated clearly, his sharp blue eyes passing over Levi briefly to rest on Pixis. “This was the agreement that was affirmed by both of our lawyers, and yet he has continually dodged every opportunity to sign.”

“That’s because you blackmailed me, Smith.” Pixis raged, slamming a clenched fist into the Zamboni, “I wouldn’t have dreamed of giving this place up in a million years. And yet… and yet…”

“You forced my hand.” Erwin said coolly, the icy edge in his voice far more vicious than any blade. “You have let this place gone to ruin. I couldn’t idly stand by as this once great academy descended into obscurity.” He indicated Levi with a curt nod, “And not to mention, you choosing to drag down once great names into the mud to be marred with your unwise business choices.”

This was a completely different Erwin, Levi observed in awe. Gone were the pleasantries from earlier, his rigid pose and stony face pronounced Erwin’s businesslike punctuality. Levi was sure that there would be little to no mercy in his execution, if his demeanor gave any indication of what was to come.

Pixis retorted, “So what if we host kiddie parties, huh? That doesn’t mean we aren’t surviving—“

Erwin’s eyes flashed, “Look at this place, took a good look, Pixis. I had a chance to see your hand-me-down wares, the pitiful condition of your prodigy’s accomplishments—”

“If you’re referring to the dusty cabinet,” Levi countered, his temper flaring up, “I’ll have you know I don’t mind having my medals stored that way! I can take them out anytime I want. And I don’t need a snobby asshole like you to—”

Levi made a move forward, only to be stopped with an iron grip from Pixis. Their eyes met, Pixis’ were filled with an indiscernible emotion that Levi could only partially interpret as pride. “Let it go, Levi. He’s right, even if it is painful to admit it.”

Pixis met Erwin’s gaze again, this time on equal footing. His strident voice remained steady, “I know you were one of my brightest students, and I know that somewhere in your heart that you believe you are doing this for me.”

Erwin shook his head in pity, his eyes alight with a mournful sadness, “I wished we could have worked together to make real change in this world, in the world of ice skating.”

“But for too long, I have let go of my old ways. I only cared about making money and the cheapest ways to make a profit…” Pixis’ voice caught in his throat, “…And in the end it was the cause of my demise.”

Pixis tore the papers from Erwin’s grasp, slamming them against the flat side of the Zamboni to hastily sign, “If anyone is going to have this place, I think I know now that I would want it to be you.” He gave them back just as quickly, clambering into the driver’s seat as soon as the paper and pen left his hands.

Erwin bowed his head in understanding, “Thank you, I’m glad that you—"

Pixis raised a pointed finger, “But don’t think that this is the end, Erwin. Those standards that you hold for me are now going to be placed on you.” He yanked the clunky gears into drive, inviting the Zamboni to roar to life once again. Pixis beamed with absolute delight, a light danced across his weary face that Levi hadn’t seen in a long time.

He winked at Levi, shifting the Zamboni into overdrive, “Give him hell for me, will you?”

Too stunned to even reply, Levi watched in puzzled amazement as Pixis drifted the ancient Zamboni faster than he had ever seen it go, vanishing from sight into the storage garage in less than three minutes.

“What…the hell just happened?” Levi gawked, his head reeling from the turmoil that transpired. “First he was like…that… and then…” He raised his hands in frustration, “What the fuck?”

A knowing smirk teased Erwin’s lips, “Well if you knew anything about that old man, it’s that he’s a pretty hard man to nail down.”

“Yeah, yeah I know.” Levi admitted, “Worked for his crazy ass long enough to get used to it, but damn I never seen anyone work him half as well as you did.”

Erwin shrugged modestly, “What can I say? It’s a gift.”

“So wait, now that you own the place…” Levi hesitated, the pain fading from his shoulder as realization dawned upon him, “Does that mean I work for you now?”

“Only if you want to.” Erwin said, a spark dancing across his eyes, “I wouldn’t want to force you to do anything.”

Levi straightened his stance, black blades digging into the ice as he drifted closer to Erwin. His stomach did backflips in his gut as Levi’s heart soared in this burst of confidence, giving into the irresistible magnetic pull that had ensnared him from the moment they met.

Levi turned his steely gaze to match Erwin’s own, heart pounding against his chest as his arm moved of its own accord. Levi crossed the space between them, placing a firm hand against Erwin’s chest.

Light fingers teased the cotton fabric, drawing a curious look from Erwin. Standing on his toes, Levi raised himself as high as he could to draw his hand across the shoulder crest.

Erwin didn’t move a muscle, instead gazing down at Levi expectantly with those brilliant blue eyes in open invitation. “Well?”

“You still owe me breakfast.” Levi tugged at the turtleneck, his gray eyes softening beneath Erwin’s gaze, “I’m famished.”

Erwin laughed softly, taking Levi’s hand in his own. “I bet you didn’t expect your morning to turn out like this, did you?”

A small smile peered out from Levi’s thin lips, “No.” He admitted, the cold of the ice giving way to new warmth that raced through his heart, “But then again, I’m willing to give in to unexpected change.”


End file.
